Change of Future
by DPcrazy
Summary: After PP. The world is safe, Danny and Sam are together, and the secret's out. Happily ever after, right? Wrong. While Danny's dealing with his miserable new life, he now has to deal with the escape of an old enemy. Can Danny fix his own future again
1. Chapter 1

**Yay! New story!**

**Yes, this one is actually after PP. To tell you the truth, I wrote this chapter last _year_, so sorry if the style isn't exactly as good and a few characters are OOC.**

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Danny Phantom . It's owned by the N-Ni...that word.**

* * *

Danny wasn't a typical kid. He was one of the only three human/ghost hybrids in the universe. Also, for the past two years, no one knew that he was half-ghost except for his best friends, Sam and Tucker, along with his sister, Jazz, and all of his enemies. No one knew about the other two hybrids either, except for those who also knew Danny's secret. Danny had been protecting Amity Park from ghosts ever since he was turned into half of one by stepping into a non-working Ghost Portal on a dare from his best friend, Sam, and accidentally turned it on, fusing his DNA with ectoplasm. Did I forget mention that he wasn't just any ghost, but _the_ Danny Phantom? A little while ago, though, an asteroid made of a substance ghosts can't touch called Ectoranium headed on a crash course for Earth. After gaining back the powers he got rid of due to their great burden, he ended up saving the entire planet. After that, he revealed his secret, that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom were one and the same. His best friend, Sam, _finally_ became his girlfriend, his best friend became mayor, and it seemed like happy ever after, but that's where you're wrong. Little did he know that his life was about to get harder.

School was on temporary break so that everyone could get themselves together. It was less than a week ago that everyone discovered his secret. Danny walked into his room with Sam and Tucker, collapsing on his bed with his best friend and girlfriend sitting next to him.

"Have fun running from all those fans?" Sam asked jokingly.

"Tons." Danny replied sarcastically.

Just then, a helicopter appeared outside his window with all of the occupants shouting at him excitedly.

"Don't you people ever give it a break?!" Danny yelled as he hopped out of his bed and ran over to close his window and make sure no one could see them. He dragged himself back to the bed tiredly before falling onto it once again.

A ringing noise came from Tucker's pocket. He took out his cell phone and started to talk on it.

"Hello…yeah…well, okay…be right there…bye." He hung up. "Guys, I have to take care of some mayoral business. Sorry, bye." Tucker told them sadly as he left the room, running to city hall.

"Guess it's just us." Sam observed.

"Looks like it." Danny responded.

The two shared a smile and leaned in to kiss when Danny's ghost sense went off. The half-ghost sighed as he tilted his face away from Sam's approaching lips.

"Sorry, Sam. Duty calls." He apologized.

Danny transformed into his ghostly self, Danny Phantom, and took off. Left behind was a slightly depressed Sam. The night of the ceremony had been one of the best nights of her life, when Danny had asked her to be his girlfriend. Since then, they hardly got any time together. Danny was always running off somewhere to do something or other and when he actually got time with her, the fans and paparazzi ruined it. Sometimes, she wished that it was back to just her, Tucker, and Jazz who knew. Actually, she wished that all the time now. It was nice that she didn't have to play girlfriend for only one half, but what good was that when they couldn't be together at all?

Outside, Danny was faced with Skulker. The helicopters had taken off when the ghost appeared.

"Hello, whelp." Skulker greeted with an evil smirk.

"Skulker." Danny returned in the same tone. It held neither anger nor happiness nor sadness. It was just, plain and cold. "Back so soon?"

"Of course. Like I said; I'll never stop hunting you." Skulker replied coolly.

"Give me your best shot." Danny challenged.

"Oh, I intend to." The robotic ghost agreed.

The fight had started. Danny planned to take out all of his frustration on this ghost. Everything that had built up in the last week, it was all being let out. Hello, misplaced aggression. Danny fired rounds of ecto-blasts before Skulker could even fire his first shot. When the ghost _did_ get around to it, Danny simply blocked it with a shield and let out a fury of sharp icicles. The stakes of ice penetrated the ghost's suit. Skulker looked at his damaged suit.

"Ruining _another_ of my suits? You're going to regret that." Skulker hissed.

"_You're_ going to regret coming here in the first place!" Danny shouted, flying up to Skulker and punching him as hard as possible. It was enough to push the robotic specter back and dent the metal of his suit.

"Hmmm, this is unlike you. Since when are you _this _mad?" Skulker commented.

"Since I needed to find a way for all of my built up frustration from the last few days out and, lucky you, you're my punching bag right now." The ghost boy responded.

Danny froze Skulker's arm and blasted it off. He sent another ghost ray at it before it hit the ground, completely obliterating it. Skulker summoned large guns from his shoulders, but Danny blasted them off before he could do _anything_. Danny sent out another round of punches before knocking the head off of Skulker and removing his tiny form.

"Ah, much better." Danny sighed, holding the small green blob by its legs.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" Skulker claimed as Danny sucked him into the Fenton Thermos.

"Sadly, I probably haven't." Danny remarked.

The boy returned to his room where his girlfriend was waiting for him. He flew up above the bed and changed back, letting his body fall onto his bed. Sam gave him a soft smile. It had a certain sadness to it.

"Now, where were we?" Danny asked teasingly.

He and Sam both leaned in for the kiss. They were only inches away when…

"Sam, you have to go home now!" Jazz shouted.

They both sighed and dropped their heads with dissatisfaction. Sam slowly stood up and headed to the door. She waved softly.

"Bye, Danny. I'll see you tomorrow at school." Sam said with a slightly depressing tone.

"Bye, Sam." He waved back in the same, sad way.

Sam turned and walked out of his room. He stared at the spot that she had been only a few minutes before. A new figure jumped into the scene; a tall, red-headed girl. Jazz.

"Hey, Jazz." Danny greeted miserably.

"Hey, little brother. Mom and Dad wanted to know if you were ready for school tomorrow." Jazz informed him.

"Define 'ready'." Danny joked wearily.

"I'll take that as a yes. Are you okay? You seem a little…depressed." Jazz inquired.

"It's just…my new life isn't as great as I thought it would be. I can't get two seconds alone, Tucker always has mayor duties, Sam and I hardly get to be together, and all of the reporters and fans are getting annoying. I can barely have a personal life!" Danny replied unhappily.

"It will get better." Jazz comforted. "They can only be interested in one thing for so long. Eventually, they'll move on."

"I hope." Danny prayed. "I never thought that I'd actually _miss_ being ignored. Ever since I became Danny Phantom and created that secret, I've only complained about how it ruined my life. Now, I see that the secret was the only thing keeping my life in check and stopping all of _this_ from happening."

"You wish that you had your secret back, don't you?" The soon-to-be psychologist questioned.

"More than anything in the world." Danny replied.

"Just don't forget; you have friends to help you make it through this." Jazz reminded him, stepping out of his room.

Danny sat there once again, going over his thoughts. It didn't matter what anyone said, no one could comfort him right now, and no one could assure him that everything would get better.

* * *

**So, now I'm telling you all that I think Danny's life would be miserable after Phantom Planet. Although, I guess that you already figured that out. -Sigh- They need a season 4.**

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's a little late. My brother has been on the computer since 3:30 this afternoon and I JUST got on...and I remembered that I had to post.**

**Disclaimer: (Insert clever quip about not owning Danny Phantom).**

* * *

"Danny, are you sure you want to do this?" Tucker questioned.

"I'll have to eventually." Danny replied.

"Ready?" Sam asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Danny answered.

The teens took a deep breath before pushing open the doors to the school. Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the trio. Danny noticed that majority of the students were either wearing black shirts with white trimmed sleeves and his symbol (along with other various Danny Phantom wear such as barrettes, jeans, anything that they could put his insignia on), or, for the girls, a copy of Sam's outfit. It was silent until…

"It's Danny Phantom!" A girl screeched.

Instantly, the noise picked up and everyone crowded the three. Mostly Danny. Endless shouts, screams, and questions were shot at him. Danny began to panic.

"_Pride and Prejudice!_ What is going on here?!" The voice of Mr. Lancer shouted, referring to the mob scene.

The adolescents ignored him. They continued cheering for Danny. The overweight teacher pushed his way through the crowd until he made it to the source; Danny Fenton and his friends, backed up into a corner, looking extremely nervous. Lancer pulled a blow horn out.

"Attention, students! I command you to back away and return to your normal business!" Lancer shouted.

The message had no affect on the exited group of teens. They just ignored him and continued shouting at Danny.

"Mr. Lancer, is it okay if I, you know, fly away for a little bit?" Danny questioned.

"Yes, I advise you to leave. Take your friends with you. You should probably hide at your house. We'll call when this mess is cleaned up." Lancer replied.

Danny didn't need telling twice. He transformed into his ghostly self (much to the pleasure of the crowd) and intangibly flew him, his girlfriend, and his best friend, out of there. He soared high into the sky, carrying a companion on each side. Danny flew as fast as possible, or at least as fast as he could without hurting everyone from the air-resistance.

"Well, _that_ was pleasant." Sam remarked sarcastically.

"I knew that they'd be all over you, but, _man_, were they all over you." Tucker added.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." The ghost boy commented dryly.

"Sorry." Apologized the techno geek.

Danny spotted his house. He turned the three invisible as they descended. Danny phased them through the brick wall before becoming visible again, right in front of his parents. They jumped a little at his sudden appearance.

"Sweetie, what are you doing home? And why are Sam and Tucker with you?" Maddie questioned.

Danny changed back to his human self. He panted from the exhaustion of the speedy flying. "I…got mobbed…by everyone at school."

"You should've seen it. He only took two steps into the building before everyone attacked him!" Tucker added with enthusiasm.

"This is one of the reasons that I don't like popular." Sam commented bitterly.

"Don't worry, son. You can hide here as long as you need to." Jack assured.

"Thanks. Mr. Lancer told me that they'd call me when it was safe for us to return." Danny responded.

"Great, until then, you can help us with our ghost hunting equipment!" Jack suggested excitedly. He earned a glared from his wife. "Or, you can upstairs and hang out in your room." The man added in a bit more depressed tone.

Danny shot his Mom a "thank you" glance before the trio ran upstairs. Danny's Dad was still getting used to the idea that his son was part ghost and often asked him to help with the ghost hunting equipment. It was usually just gathering ectoplasm or ghost energy. Luckily, his Mom had enough sense to keep him out of the room when they were actually building or testing. Danny could have hugged her for that.

* * *

Eventually, Danny had returned to school as well as his friends. The school had issued a warning that any crowding or annoying of Danny would result in severe punishment. That made everyone quit the mob scenes. Although, it hadn't stopped the stares and excited whispers as he passed by. It _also_ hadn't stopped Paulina from asking him countless times to 'dump that Goth freak and be _her_ boyfriend'. Danny, Sam, and Tucker were heading to lunch when Danny caught sight of Valerie. He really needed to talk to her. She seemed so depressed. 

Danny ran up to her, glaring at the following crowd, his eyes flashing an angry green. That was all the warning they needed. The group backed up away from Danny. The boy turned back to the former ghost hunter, eyes resuming blue.

"Hey, Val." He greeted softly.

She didn't even turn around. She just stood there, looking away from him with a saddened expression on her face.

"Val, I really think that we need to talk. You haven't answered any of my phone calls or e-mails." Danny pressed.

She still ignored him.

"Val, I don't care if you say that you hate me and never want to see me again, just as long as you say _something_." Danny pleaded.

At last, the girl turned around. Sadness filled her eyes and it looked like she had cried quite a few times. Her teal eyes didn't meet his blue one, they strayed away. It seemed like she was trying to avoid eye contact.

"I don't hate you. It's just…I can't believe that you were the one I was hurting all along. I thought that I was protecting you when I broke up with you to ghost fight, but I was actually hurting you more. I'm really sorry. It's just that…I need some time to figure this out." She responded sincerely.

"I understand. I'm sorry too. I was just…afraid. I liked you, but you didn't like half of me. I really hope that we can still be friends. When you're ready, I'll be right here." The half-ghost assured.

Valerie gave him a pathetic attempt at a smile before he returned to his table.

"How did that go?" Tucker questioned.

"Not too bad. I'm not sure if she completely trusts me yet, though." Danny replied, looking kind of sad.

"She'll come around eventually." Sam reassured, putting her arm comfortingly around her boyfriend's shoulders.

Danny gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

* * *

Later that day, Danny was sitting with Sam and Tucker in class. Lancer was droning about something. Most of the class was too intent in staring at Danny to notice. The teacher turned around as a ringing sounded from Tucker's pocket. The student removed his cell phone. 

"Uh, I'll be right there." Tucker assured to the person on the other end. "Mr. Lancer, I have to go to city hall."

"Fine, Mr. Foley, you may go." The teacher dismissed.

Only seconds after the new mayor left, Danny's ghost sense went off. He raised his hand.

"Mr. Fenton?" Lancer called.

"Uh, ghost trouble." Danny told him.

"You're dismissed." The teacher groaned.

Danny transformed and flew through the wall. Only Sam was left. She gave him a pleading look.

"Go." The educator told her exasperatedly.

Sam happily rushed through the door and out of the room.

* * *

**Yes, I am still on the intro. I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to update next Friday. I'll try, but it'll be kinda hard with my mid-terms and other junk this week.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I finally got around to writing the next chapter. Sorry about the lateness. I blame school, essays, mid-terms, and various medical conditions/illnesses.**

**Disclaimer: If I was Butch Hartman, I wouldn't be on here, would I?**

* * *

When Danny got outside, he was only met by the Box Ghost.

Danny groaned. "It's only you?"

"Yes, it is I, the Box Ghost. BEWARE!" The little blue ghost shouted.

Danny tiredly shot a small green ghost ray at the annoying ghost. Danny's expression of boredom flashed into one of shock as a pink cube formed around the Box Ghost. The cube reflected Danny's attack.

"Ha ha! Behold my cubic power!" The Box Ghost shouted.

"Oh, great. Now even the _Box Ghost_ isn't as easy." Danny moaned to himself.

With that, Danny began firing rounds of ecto-blasts. The enemy blocked them before sending out small, pink, exploding cubes. The attack thrusted Danny to the ground.

"Danny, are you okay?!" Sam screamed out, running up to the battle scene.

"Yeah. Box Ghost has gotten stronger though. Stand back, I don't want you getting hurt." Danny commanded.

The Goth girl reluctantly backed a few feet away from the fight as Danny jumped up.

"Are you finally realizing the **true** power of boxes?!" Danny's foe shouted.

"Nope." The half-ghost replied simply.

The ghost boy fired an ice ray from his eyes. Ice shards formed and flew at the ghost pinning him to the brick wall. Danny didn't wait another second to suck up the ghost into the Fenton Thermos. Exhaustedly, Danny landed right next to Sam.

"Have fun?" She asked sarcastically.

Danny glared at her.

"Oh, come on, I was just joking." Sam defended.

"We'd better go back inside." Danny suggested.

Without waiting for Sam to say anything, he picked her up and carried her back into the school by phasing her through the wall. He was sure to put her down and change back **before** he walked into the classroom. He didn't want any **more** attention than he already had. In fact, he'd like less. Revealing his secret was _not_ the best move.

Danny and Sam walked through the classroom and were met by the eyes of many cheering students. Danny's face became red with embarrassment. A ton of kids forgot about the rule not to crowd him and stood up, making their way toward him. Lancer was yelling at them to stop, but they couldn't hear him over the loud chattering.

Danny and Sam raised their arms high over their heads to protect themselves from the fans.

"Time out!" A voice boomed.

All of a sudden, time seemed to stop. Everyone froze. A clock-like portal opened, revealing a blue ghost in a purple cloak. The ghost wore many watches and his chest had a grandfather clock embedded into it. A staff with a clock on top rested in his hand. The ghost flew over to Danny and placed a gear-shaped medallion with "CW" written on it around Danny's neck. Danny seemed dazed for a moment before he confusedly snapped out of his trance.

"Clockwork?" He gasped.

"Yes, Danny." The ghost, Clockwork, responded.

"What's wrong?" Danny questioned worriedly. Clockwork didn't visit him for no reason. Something about the time-stream must have been messed up.

"Unfortunately, you. Your alternate, evil future self has broken out of the Fenton Thermos." Clockwork reported.

"What?!" Danny exclaimed.

"In the near future, you visit me and ask me to turn back time so that you may prevent yourself from telling the world your secret. You end up stumbling and knocking over Dan's thermos, releasing him by accident." Clockwork informed.

"So, wait, is he going to back in time to change my past?"

"No. Far worse. He has discovered that he exists outside of time and no longer needs you to survive. Instead, he has headed for your future."

"My future?! What?! Why?!" Danny panicked.

"I'm not sure why." The Master of Time responded.

"But you're the Master of Time! You know everything!" Danny shouted in shock.

"True, but Dan has found a way to use my medallions against me so that I may not see into the future. I am no longer able to travel past the point of his escape. So, you must go into your future and catch him before he ruins it." Clockwork explained.

Danny took a deep breath. "Alright."

Clockwork smiled and waved his staff. They appeared in Clockwork's castle in the Ghost Zone. Danny looked around curiously. The place had marks all over it that proved Dan's escape.

"So, where _is_ my evil future self?" Danny questioned.

"_When_ is your evil future self." Clockwork corrected. "I am not sure. It's up to you to find him."

"This sounds fun." Danny commented sarcastically.

Clockwork handed the boy a small watch. Danny carefully inspected it.

"What's this?" The boy questioned.

"_That_ is a device that will let you move through the time stream. While you are wearing it, time cannot be stopped for you. There is a tracer on it. It is designed to track Dan down and send you the time that he is currently residing." The Master of All Time explained.

Danny slipped the watch onto his wrist. "How does it work?"

"You have to press the red button. It will send you wherever Dan goes. One warning though. **Do not** look for details in your future. Learning too much about one's own future is a bad thing." Clockwork warned. "And good luck."

Danny nodded his head. He transformed into ghost mode and pressed the red button on his watch. Everything began to spin and the world around him started to fade. A bright flash of light surrounded Danny. When the light cleared, he was in Amity Park. It looked almost exactly the same. A few buildings were changed and the area seemed slightly cleaner. No one was around.

"Where _is_ everyone?" Danny asked himself.

A newspaper flew past him. He snatched it out of the air. His face transformed into shock as he couldn't stop himself from reading the first few sentences.

_Saturday, October 2__8__, 2016_

_**Marriage of the****Century**_

_Today marks the day of the biggest wedding in history. Town hero, Danny Fenton/Phantom marries his High School sweetheart, Sam Manson…_

Danny dropped the paper in amazement. "Sam and me…married? Uh, oh. Clockwork told me not to…wait! That's where Dan is!" Danny concluded.

The young ghost turned himself invisible and flew straight for the church. A huge crowd was gathered outside of it. Numerous reporters were trying to get a good video and photographers were snapping pictures and a few helicopters were flying around; most likely trying to get a bird's eye view of the whole thing. Danny phased himself into the building. His ghost sense went off.

"Dan's here." He muttered.

What he saw next stopped him in his tracks, though. Sam and an older version of him were standing at the altar, holding each other's hands. Sam was in a beautiful white dress, but it didn't look too girly. No frills or lace. Then, there was himself. He was dressed in a black tuxedo. He was a good amount taller and definitely had more muscle mass. Danny tried to advert his eyes, but found that he couldn't.

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest permitted.

The two leaned in and shared a kiss. Danny had to stop from gasping. Suddenly, a figure appeared behind the newlywed couple. They broke apart and everyone began to scream as Dark Dan grabbed Sam. Danny instantly lurched forward and grabbed Dan, forcing him to let go of the older Sam and phasing him through the wall of the church.

Dan shook his head as he was pushed outside. He gazed angrily at Danny.

"You!" He barked.

"Who else would it be?" Danny remarked rudely.

"I don't know how you found me, but you won't be able to find me again!" Dan shouted. The older ghost created a blue portal and flew through it. It quickly sealed up.

"We'll see about that." Danny said to himself, pressing the red button.

A bright light enveloped him and he vanished. Seconds later, the older Danny Phantom flew out of the church. He scanned the area.

"What was that?!" He questioned to no one.

* * *

**LIke it? Want to give it up? Tell me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own DP!**

* * *

A bright flash erupted in the air. After the strange light died down, Danny was left floating in its place. The anxious boy scanned the area.

"Now where is he?" Danny questioned, then, his surroundings gave him a slight jolt. "And where am I?"

The city looked horrible! Numerous buildings had been demolished and it was havoc all around. People were running and screaming, retreating to battle shelters that had emerged from the street. The orange glow of a fire burned in the distance. Looking around, Danny searched for the cause of the commotion.

In the distance, bright lights flashed fiery reds, icy blues, and strange greens. Realizing that this was the cause of the havoc, Danny sped off toward the battle as fast as he could. As he grew closer, his ghost sense started going crazy. After another few seconds, he could see thick smoke and hear screaming and crashing. One scream, however, stood out above all.

The Ghostly Wail.

_His_ Ghostly Wail.

Danny pulled up and gasped. He saw himself, not much older than in the last time period, standing, panting, surrounded by all of his enemies.

"Give it up, Phantom!" Skulker bellowed. "You're outnumbered and outmatched."

"If you don't…already know…that I won't give up…no matter what…than you haven't…learned _anything_…in the past eighteen years." Older Danny panted, plastering a smirk onto his face.

"Have it your way." The mechanical ghost declared darkly. All of the ghosts began to advance at once, ready to use their own power to beat the life out of Danny, when a deep, dark voice spoke up.

"Stop." It commanded.

That voice brought a chill up his spine. The ghosts parted to let the new threat come into view.

Dan Phantom.

Voices erupted in the crowd of Danny's enemies. Who was this ghost? Why did he look like Phantom? Only more evil?

"Silence!" he commanded with a voice that demanded attention. "_I_ will be the one to finish him off."

The ghosts began to protest this, but they were interrupted by a scream from the older Danny.

"_You_?! What are you doing _here_, out of the thermos? And why?" He interrogated roughly.

Dan chuckled darkly. "You haven't figured it out? Here, I'll give you a hint. I exist outside of time now. I don't need you."

"So, you've come to get rid of me once and for all?" Danny assumed.

"You left out 'take over the world,' but I'll give it to you."

Younger Danny decided that now would be a great time to intervene.

"Not while I'm around!" He shouted, tackling the evil ghost away moments before he hit his good older self.

Older Danny looked between them in confusion for a minute.

"You messed up the time-stream again, didn't you?" He questioned.

"Hey!" The boy defended. "Technically, I didn't mess it up _yet_. Now would you mind helping?!"

Dan pushed himself up and grabbed his younger self by the neck. Thankfully, older Danny blasted the ghost's hand, causing him to drop Danny. He rubbed his sore neck.

"Why are you attacking my future?!" He demanded. "Why not the past?!"

"You seriously think that I'm going to tell you?" The evil ghost cackled. "Please! I don't have _that_ much Plasmius in me."

Both Dannys narrowed their eyes and lunged at their opponent. Dan laughed and put up a shield. The two slammed into it.

"Pathetic." He hissed.

Older Danny glanced at his younger self. "Ice powers." He whispered.

Danny nodded in understanding. The two leaped up from their positions and fired huge blasts of ice at the evil counterpart. Older Danny's was much more powerful, but the younger Danny was doing fairly well.

Dan didn't seem to expect this type of onslaught and was hit full force. He was frozen in place inside what looked like an iceberg. But then, his red eyes flared and he burst out. He seemed to be getting a little tired, though.

"You know," He called to the ghosts "eliminating them would go so much faster if you all pitched in."

The crowd of ghosts simply looked at each other in confusion. It was clear that they were lost. This caused Dan to growl. Abruptly, two beams of green ghostly energy shot him from the back. He turned around to find his alternate selves standing there, arms outstretched and hands smoking with leftover energy.

"We have to finish him off…_now_!" Younger Danny exclaimed.

"If it was that simple, he'd be gone already." Older Danny snapped in reply.

Unfortunately, their brief argument left them open for Dan to come up and bind them against a crumbling wall with ecto-rope. He walked up to them and laughed, making the two glare at him.

"You seriously thought that you could beat me? Even older, you still lack the experience." He sneered.

Then, a jolt came from behind him and he was knocked down. Just as fast, the two bound Dannys broke out of their binds.

"Well, maybe with a little help…" A female voice trailed.

They looked up to see Valerie floating above them on her jet sled. It was obvious that she had fired. A smirk played at her lips beneath her red tinted face mask. She flew down to them and a frown took over as she glanced between the two.

"You messed up the time stream again, didn't you?" She questioned, unknowingly repeating what the older Danny had said only a few minutes before.

"I didn't mess it up _yet_." Younger Danny repeated irritably.

"Hello, guys? I think that we're forgetting something!" Older Danny shouted, pushing everyone out of the way just as a ghost ray flew by their heads.

"Oh, right." Little Danny and Valerie remembered.

They began to assault the evil Phantom. A fair amount of blasts had been exchanged before Dan blew them all back with a Ghostly Wail. The three groaned from their positions on the ground. Dan duplicated into three.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed. "I get to finish off all three of you at once! How grand!"

"Get away from them!" Another voice sounded. A girl's.

A flying kick knocked the original Dan down, causing him to lose control and the duplicates to vanish. Then, a slim figured hovered over him. She had white hair, green eyes, and a stylized black and white suit. A Phantom.

"That's what you _get_ for messing with my brother and Valerie!" Danielle shouted.

"Danielle! I thought I told you…" Older Danny began to scold while he and the others got up, but Dani cut him off.

"Danny, I'm practically you. Did you really think that I'd just sit back when there was a huge battle going on?" She smirked. Then it faded as she noticed younger Danny. "You messed up the time stream again didn't you?"

Younger Danny screamed in frustration.

"Who are _you_?!" Dan spat, rising from the ground.

Instead of answering, Dani glanced over at her older "brother." "Is this that evil version of you that you used to tell me about?"

Big Danny nodded.

Dan glanced around at the four as they prepared to attack. "Hm, maybe I need to find a time when he's less armed."

"No way!" The ghost boy shouted. "You're not getting away again!"

"Again?" His three allies asked, becoming distracted.

Danny ignored them and so did Dan.

"Too late." He mocked as he held out the time medallion and was sucked up into a blue vortex.

"Oh, no you don't!" Danny shouted to himself as he pressed the red button on his watch. He disappeared as well.

Danny, Valerie, and Dani looked at each other in confusion, then at the ghost army, who was doing the same.

* * *

**Okay, does anyone have any suggestions about when he should go next? I can only keep writing chapters as long as I have times for him to go to.**

**For all who do not like Dani...she probably will not appear in the rest of the story. The only reason that she was here was because it was a huge battle.**

**Oh, and review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**THIS is what you get when my brain is on low. Yeah, this chapter won't be very good...especially the ending.**

**Blech!**

* * *

The blinding light faded again. Looking around, Danny couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The town looked perfect! No destroyed buildings, no screaming people, and no insane media. Below him, several people walked casually. Only a few glanced up, looking curious, before moving on. Perfectly normal.

"O-kay, what's so special about today? Everything looks normal!" Danny thought to himself, flying lazily about the town, making sure to stay out of sight.

Finally, his ghost sense went off, but instead of seeing his enemy, he saw Dora happily flying by. She looked nothing like she used to, but he knew it was Dora all the same. Her blond hair had been pulled out of its braid and hung loosely, slightly shorter than before and held away from her green face with a blue headband that had an emerald on the side. No tiara. Her medieval gown had been replaced with a short blue skirt and high white boots. Her top was green, but a snazzy blue jacket was worn over it. Several bracelets and necklaces dangled from her wrists and neck.

"Dora?" Danny whispered to himself. "Wow, she looks kinda like my parents from their college days…creepy." He paused and watched from behind a build board as she continued on her way, happily. "Wonder where she's going. Oh, well. I don't have time to think about that now. I have to find that evil jerk before he causes any damage."

With that, Danny flew off toward his own house, wondering if Dan might have flown there. He gazed through the window.

"Empty. Huh, that's weird." He muttered to himself. "Where the heck is he?"

Danny took off once more, patrolling the whole town. After a few more minutes of searching, he arrived at a white building where his ghost sense finally went off. He didn't pay attention to which building he had arrived at, he realized that a lot of them had been rebuilt in different places anyways. Instead, he focused on the maniacal ghost floating right outside it. He was in the field and, apparently, no one was around to notice him yet.

Danny smirked after noticing that his evil future self had not noticed him either. The ghost boy silently crept up behind the ghost and was about to make his move when Dan suddenly whipped around, red eyes blazing, and grabbed him by the neck. His grip was so tight that Danny had to struggle for air. He squirmed in the elder's grasp, gasping.

"How do you keep finding me, you little pest?!" The ghost demanded, tossing Danny's limp form to the hard ground below.

Danny choked on the oxygen, his body anxious to get it through his system. He was still panting when his alternate older self landed right in front of him, glaring down at him. It was hard for Danny to muster enough strength to gaze up at the demonic ghost, but he managed.

"Answer my question, brat!" Dan blared, kicking Danny's side so that he tumbled and was left staring at the sky moments before the horrible face of Dan Phantom filled it.

"It's not…how." Danny corrected, short of breath. He tried heaving himself up, but Dan simply kicked him back down. "It's why. And I'm _not_ going to let you ruin my life."

"Oh, I'll do more than ruin it." Dan hissed, lifting the boy up by his neck and holding him inches from his face. "I'll destroy it."

Danny was flung into a tree over ten feet away. His body limply slumped to the base.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." The evil ghost stated with a smirk, turning toward the building.

Danny opened his bright green eyes. They had a flare in them, one that stated that he wasn't going to give up just like that. Without a coherent decision, he flung himself at the older ghost, knocking him to the ground. While Dan was still surprised, Danny used his paranormal strength to lift his opponent up and fling him into the tree that he had been by earlier.

"Now, tell me why you're doing this." Danny demanded. "If you just wanted revenge, you would have come back to my time. If you wanted to change my future, you would have traveled back in time. So why?"

Dan chuckled darkly. "It's simple. Yes, I want revenge, but it will be a slow and painful one. I wanted to wait until your life was at a high point before finally destroying it piece by piece. And then, by the time I was done with you, you'd be begging for me to finish you off."

Danny grimaced. Then, he thought of something.

"Hey, nut job?" Danny smirked.

Dan glared, but he came out of his revere too late. He found Danny's charged fist heading for his face and no time to react. _That_ was going to leave a bruise.

"I guess you have more of the fruitloop in you than you thought." The ghost boy finished triumphantly, referring to the ghost's previous comment about how he didn't have enough Vlad in him to divulge his plan.

The boy was reaching for the Fenton Thermos and was about to suck Dan in when there was a flash of light and Dan vanished.

"Not _again_." Danny groaned. "I really need to work on being more thorough."

Danny hit the red button on his watch and disappeared as well.

However, something was happening in the building next to them. Turns out, it was a hospital. And in a room of that hospital, laid an exhausted Sam and a very pale, but still very happy, Danny. Sam was on the hospital bed in an upright position while Danny's hand rested on her shoulder and a little bundle wrapped in a blanket rested in her arms.

Sam smiled weakly. "Isn't she beautiful, Danny?"

"Just like her mother." The man agreed, smiling as well. "She has your eyes."

Sam began to chuckle. "Not anymore."

Danny gave her a questioning look, but then laughed when the newborn's eyes had momentarily flashed a bright green.

"How does Camela sound?" Sam asked her husband.

"It sounds perfect to me." Danny agreed.

"Camela Madeline Fenton."

* * *

**I warned you guys, this is what happens when I come to a lack of better events to write about.**

**Okay, now for the side notes. I'm not updating next week. I also will most likely not be on the computer for the next week, either. It's February Vacation, so I'm heading out. Second; PLEASE, if you have ANY ideas, tell me! I'm on a major shortage. Thanks to all those who gave me their ideas last chapter, but I can't fit those in with the way the story is currently going.**

**...That is all.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Um...yeah...enjoy!**

**Diclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, I wouldn't be here, would I?**

* * *

Danny glanced at his new surroundings carefully. They looked the same as last time. He clutched his head.

"Note to self: Too much time traveling gives you a _major_ headache."

His bright green eyes searched for his evil future self as his ears listened for screaming. Nothing. Just like the last time, everything was fine.

"Huh. This is…odd. Why hasn't he done anything yet? Unless he's waiting."

The boy lazily flew over town, searching for a sign. His instinct led him to Fenton Works. The old brick building was the same as ever; neon sign and all. He continued flying, resisting the urge to peak into the building.

The wind swept back his white hair lightly as he rose higher into the sky to avoid a crowd of people walking through the park. Unfortunately, a few spotted him. Surprisingly enough, all they did was wave.

"I guess I'm too far up for them to notice the age difference." He muttered to himself. Of course, this assumption changed when someone called after him. But not _him_ him.

"Hey, Darren!" A boy called.

Danny looked toward the source of the noise in confusion. A boy was following him on what appeared to be a jet-powered wind-surfer. The half-ghost flew faster, trying to lose the strange boy. His hair and top-half of his face was covered up by a helmet and a shaded visor. He was clothed in a bright green jumpsuit that had black knee and elbow pads as well as a pair of strange boots and gloves. The boots were thick and clunky with numerous fasteners all up them and strong grips at the bottom. The gloves seemed like they had grips, too, and were short, only coming up to his wrists. A small black backpack was slung over his shoulders, the straps looking tight. From what Danny _could_ see, the boy had dark skin, but that was about it.

"Dude, wait up!" He called again, pushing the machine faster.

Tired of this and certain that it was going to be difficult to out-fly the boy, Danny turned himself invisible and darted out of the way. Amazingly enough, the kid kept following him.

"C'mon, Dare. You _know_ that's not going to work." He shouted at Danny again.

The half-ghost was completely baffled. Who the heck was Darren and why did that kid keep calling him that? With that thought in mind, Danny made a sharp turn into an alleyway. He changed back and curled up behind a large metal box. It looked like a dumpster, only it smelled and looked nicer. He pressed himself against it. Some hiding spot.

"Darren, seriously, this isn't a joke." The boy called again, his tone stern. He landed in the alley, resting his flying contraption up against a wall. He walked closer to Danny's hiding spot. "I don't know why you're acting so weird and why you're running from me, but your Dad is looking for you." The boy looked around once more and checked his scanner. Nothing. "You know, how you're tricking the scanner is beyond me, but I _saw_ you fly over here…well, at least I saw you through my inviso-scan, but I saw you earlier, too. Just _pleas__e_ come out." Danny remained motionless. "Fine, be that way. But you're going to be in a lot of trouble later." The boy hopped back on his air-surfer and flew away.

Danny relaxed and rose up from his spot, peeking out from behind the metal container to make sure that the kid was gone before stepping out himself. Carefully, he walked out of the alley. Maybe it was better for him to stay in human form for now since his ghost form looked like someone that people were searching for. Danny's mind puzzled over both his pursuer and who he was looking for. Darren.

A hard slam suddenly knocked Danny down onto the road. Danny rubbed his hurting head and got up, looking to see who had hit him. He gasped when he saw that it was a boy who looked remarkably like him, except for a few details. For one, the kid's messy black hair was squashed down underneath a blue beanie and his clothes were more punk-like than anything Danny had ever worn…well, _almost_ ever worn. He donned a baggy black T-shirt and loose dark blue jeans with tears in the knees. Worn red and black sneakers fit snugly on his feet. Except that these sneaker had fasteners instead of laces. Danny also noticed that the boy had a scratch on his cheek and wore a studded choker around his neck as well as a tight black band on his left wrist. When the kid pushed himself up from the ground and opened his eyes, Danny was shocked to see that they were just slightly darker than his own.

"Watch where you're going!" The kid demanded angrily. He bumped Danny as he ran down the street.

Danny stared after the kid for a second before dashing after him. He skidded to a halt as he watched the boy take a turn behind a building. Curiously, the half-ghost peeked from behind it, noticing that the boy had stopped running.

"Okay, flying would be so much easier." He panted.

A stunned look washed over Danny's face as a blue-white ring appeared around the kid's waist and then separated into two, mimicking his own transformation. As the rings moved apart, they revealed a black jumpsuit, similar to his. However, the silvery-white parts were a darker grey, the boots rose up shorter and looked more like the riding boots of the other boy, and the gloves were fingerless. But the recognizable DP symbol still remained, only slightly darker. The boy's hair looked almost identical to Danny's, except it was longer and messier. Bright green eyes had replaced the dark blue; the final touch.

A gasp escaped the observing boy as the ghost flew off, turning invisible after a few feet. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. That rider mistaking him for someone else, not coming up on the scanner, this boy looking so much like him…

"Darren."

* * *

**Okay, go ahead, kill me. But this will all tie together...eventually.**


	7. Chapter 7

**If you thought that last chapter was confusing, take a look at _this_!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, I'd have enough money to buy a better computer.**

* * *

"Another half-ghost?" He whispered to himself in amazement. "One that looks like…like _me_? Could it be…"

Danny didn't finish that sentence. There was no way that he was going to be able to figure this all out. He knew that he had to stop Dan, but…how? He didn't know where the evil ghost was or what he was planning! He needed to know why Dan was here; what was so important? The only way that he'd be able to figure _anything_ out was if he knew what was going on. And the only way to do _that_…was to spy.

Danny hid in an ally, ducking down and changing into his ghost half. Then, he flickered out of the visible spectrum and dashed into the sky.

Danny arrived at his house shortly after. Well, Fenton Works, anyways. He probably didn't live there _now_. But, it might give him a clue as to what was going on.

He phased into the house, happy to see that there wasn't a ghost shield or anything. The modernized house opened up in front of him. Everything was clean and shiny; looking high-tech. Except the living room looked almost exactly the same save for new furniture and updated pictures.

The ghost boy heard a small ruckus downstairs. Curiosity got the better of him and he phased his head through the floor. He had to stifle a gasp. His parents were down there, but they were so much older. His Mom's hair was much duller than he remembered and his Dad's was completely grey! Then, there was a third figure; tall and well built. He was taking the Fenton Thermos out of the releasing unit. He was turned away from Danny, but from what the teen could see, his hair was a scruffy mess of fading black, he wore a short-sleeved red shirt with white cuffs and collar that came out in a casual fashion, still showing off strengthened arms, and he also donned a pair of plain blue jeans and white sneakers that had red fasteners on them.

Then, the man turned slightly so that he was facing the elders.

"So…you haven't seen him?" He asked with a deep, but strangely familiar, voice.

"Sorry, honey. We haven't seen him at all today." Maddie replied with concern etched into her voice.

Danny froze, finally discovering who the man was. "That's…that's_ me_."

The older Danny massaged his forehead exhaustedly as he let out a deep breath. "At least he's not in the Ghost Zone then. I just…I don't understand. I know Darren can be a bit of a troublemaker, but he's never done anything like this before!"

"Son, I know you're worried, but Darren will be fine. He's a Fenton after all!" Jack claimed with a big, comforting grin.

The younger man smiled. "I guess you're right. I have to go now. Maybe the rest of the 'search party' found something."

The man transformed into his ghostly counterpart and phased through the ceiling barely a foot away from where Danny was. The boy followed him in hot pursuit. Maybe there was a link between Darren's behavior and Dan's appearance.

A group of people waited by a normal-sized building. It looked like most of the town; made of some strange metallic material. Among the people stood the boy from before, except now his helmet was off. He possessed sharp facial features and his black hair was short and spiky. His eyes were a light teal, contrasting greatly with his skin. He was tall and seemed about fifteen. Next to him stood a tall man in almost formal attire. A red tie rested over a white work-shirt that was tucked into grey dress pants. He also wore fancy black shoes. As for his face; he had low cheekbones, a trimmed beard that resembled a goatee, and short-cut black hair. His eyes were about the same shade as they boy's, but had thick glasses covering them. Then, there were two women and a teenage girl. One of the women was dark-skinned as well. Her face was rounded softly and she had thick eyelashes covering another set of teal eyes. She had short, curly black hair that hung loosely around her face. A frown was placed on her mauve-colored lips. She donned a fancy red and black suit and was standing in front of her trusty jet sled. The other woman had pale skin, a slender face, violet eyes, purple-tinted lips, short black hair, a

long lilac tank-top with a black stripe across the center, and black jeans. As for the girl; slightly tanned skin, violet eyes, wavy black hair held back by violet barrettes, dark pink lips, a bright green midriff top with purple three-quarter sleeves and a purple star in the center, a black bracelet on each wrist, and a blue jean skirt. She was twirling a strand of her hair nervously. She looked around sixteen.

The adults could easily be recognized. Tucker, Valerie, and Sam.

"Where is he? He should have been back ten minutes ago!" Sam shouted in irritation.

"Calm down, Sam. Danny probably just got caught up with a ghost fight or something. He'll be back any minute." Tucker assured, putting a hand gently on her shoulder.

As if to prove this, older Danny came speeding up a second later, the invisible ghost boy still on his tail. The man landed right in front of them.

"My parents said that they didn't see him, so he's probably not in the Ghost Zone." Older Danny informed.

"Well, if you had arrived on time, you would've known that Adrian saw him." Sam snapped, clearly up in a knot with this.

"Hey! There was a gho-wait. Adrian saw him?" Danny asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah." The tall, dark skinned boy piped up. "I caught him flying around Maple Street, but he got away. The weirdest part: he didn't show up on my scanner."

Younger Danny tensed up.

"Dad," The girl piped up "I think something is seriously wrong with Darren. I asked the kids in his class and they said that he just got all panicky and then vanished. I mean, it could be the ectochronia, but he usually tells someone and hardy ever ditches school because of it."

The invisible Danny furrowed his brow. Ecto-what?

"Camela's right, Danny." Sam agreed. "Whatever it is, it's serious."

The unseen boy sighed to himself. He had no idea what they were talking about. How was he supposed to find Dan if he had no clue what was going on? Whatever the evil ghost was planning must have included this day…so what was so special about today? And what the heck was up with this Darren kid? Too many unanswered questions.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tucker pitched in, tired of the slow-moving progress.

Everyone nodded their heads as the younger Danny rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**:D Confused yet? GOOD! This will all be explained eventually, but right now, I'm taking joy from your puzzlement.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

* * *

It was about an hour later. No sign of Dan, no sign of Darren. This only reassured Danny that the two were connected. Tired of following them around, Danny split off from the group.

"Maybe I'll have better luck on my own." He thought to himself as he invisibly glided over the town.

He eventually came to good old Casper High. He chuckled a little to himself. "Looks like I've come full-circle."

It was true. This had all started in school when Clockwork told him about Dan and had sent him off. Now, he was _back_ at school.

Shortly after this little thought, Danny's ghost sense went off. Anxiously, he flew closer to the ground and skimmed the premises. It looked like school had gotten out a little while ago since the grounds were deserted. A deep voice suddenly disrupted the silence; a voice that sent chills down Danny's spine.

The boy, still invisible, tensely made his way toward the noise. The grumbling turned into words.

"I'm ordering you: do it or I'll destroy you here and now. Better yet, I'll bring you to your father and _then_ destroy you." Dan hissed while pinning a petrified Darren against a tree. The boy's green eyes were wide with fear, but suddenly narrowed.

"Dude, back off!" He ordered, struggling. Dan just laughed at his futile attempts. "Seriously! Let go or I'll…"

"You'll what?" The evil ghost cut him off. "Don't think for a minute, _Darren_, that I haven't been here long enough to learn a few things. I know about your ectochronia, I know what it is. I also know that it makes it difficult for you to fight, which is why your father restrains you as much as possible."

Darren's tough act fell as he acknowledged that the ghost was right. This caused Dan to smirk evilly.

"So, what's it going to be? Help me or be destroyed?" He hissed.

"I…" Darren quivered.

It was at that moment that Danny decided to lose the invisibility and charge the older ghost, knocking him roughly to the ground. Without Dan to hold him up, Darren fell to the base of the tree.

"What on…" Dan exclaimed, propping himself up with his arms.

"Miss me?" Danny questioned with a smug grin. He stood over his evil future self with his arms crossed. "Now, are you ready to go back to Clockwork's and be returned to your nice, cozy thermos?"

The monster took this opportunity to grab Danny's neck by surprise and toss him into the tree next to Darren who was now watching the battle intensely.

"This can't go on forever, Danny. One of us is going to eventually lose and I promise that it won't be me." Dan hissed before a puff of green smoke appeared around him and he vanished.

Danny glared at the spot he was just standing before a voice interrupted him.

"Who…who _are _you?" A slightly fearful Darren questioned, gazing at Danny intently. "And why do you look like me?"

Danny's shoulders stiffened.

"Listen, it's really important that you don't tell anyone about this." The original ghost boy conveyed.

"Yeah, right!" Darren shouted back defiantly. "Why should I trust _you_? You're probably like some clone freak!"

Danny sighed. "It's complicated. Just…don't tell anyone, okay?"

Darren looked wary and backed off a little. "I'll…think about it." He said unsteadily before flying off.

Danny's palm slapped his face and he shook his head slowly. This was _not_ going to end well. He let his hand fall and took off after the boy, regaining invisibility.

"Looks like my best chance at finding Dan is following Darren." He decided.

Danny followed Darren all the way to the house from earlier. The future boy landed in front of it before changing back. He was about to go inside when someone suddenly shouted "There you are!"

Darren turned quickly, only to be met with a smothering hug from Sam.

"Darren Fenton, what on Earth happened?!" Older Danny shouted as Sam let go. Both parents stood with folded arms.

"Looks like it's time to go now." Tucker whispered to Valerie and Adrian. The two nodded and left the family alone.

"Yeah, bro." Camela agreed. "You just left without a trace! And Adrian said that he saw you on Maple Street, but you ran away from him. Why?"

The boy furrowed his brow. "What? I didn't see Adrian." He stated.

"Well, unless there's another ghost boy with white hair, green eyes, and a black and white jumpsuit flying around, then it had to be you." Camela retaliated.

Darren's eyes widened as he recalled his recent encounter. "Actually…"

The muscles of the younger Danny stiffened greatly. Uh-oh.

"…I _did_ see someone else like that." He finished.

"Honey, please stop lying to us." Sam begged, her face softening. "I know that you're embarrassed about the ectochronia, but you don't have to make up excuses. Just tell us the truth."

Darren clenched his fists, squeezed his eyes shut, and began shaking with anger. "I **am** telling the truth!" He yelled angrily, his eyes flying open to reveal that they were glowing a yellowy-green now. "I was in class when my throat started feeling funny and I guessed that it could be a ghostly wail or something, so I was about to ask to be excused when, all of a sudden, a freaky ghost grabbed me and flew us to the park! He started threatening me to help him or he'd kill me! But then the ghostly wail got out, so I was trying to fly away, but didn't have enough energy! I thought that I lost him and was on my way back to school when he found me again! And _then_, some other ghost showed up and he looked almost exactly like me! When he got rid of the other guy, he kept asking me not to tell anyone about him." The kid was panting after the outburst and his eyes were still a furious green.

The family's stern expressions faded. Danny bent down a little to look his son in the eyes. "Darren, what did these two ghosts look like?"

The boy's eyes faded back to deep blue. "The one who got me had flaming white hair, blue skin, and red eyes. I already told you that the other one looked kinda like me. That's all I noticed."

Older Danny seemed to become very edgy. "Did you catch any names?"

"Not really. I was a little busy _fighting for my life_!" The younger half-ghost screamed in frustration.

"Okay, Dare. I need you to calm down. Do the names Dan and Danny sound familiar?"

"Dad, _your_ name is Danny." He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I meant the other ghosts." The man continued in a shaky, but slightly annoyed, tone.

"I…I don't know. Maybe a little." He admitted.

Danny cast a nervous glance back at Sam.

"Danny, do you really think…I mean, I thought he was locked up…and wouldn't Clockwork just…" She stammered, unable to finish any of her sentences.

"There's no other explanation." The man decided. He turned back to his son. "Did you see which way they went?"

Darren shook his head. "Dad, what's going on?"

The father sighed. "I think I know those ghosts. I have to go find them to see what's up." He turned to his wife. "Sam, I need you to keep them inside, make sure that they don't get into any trouble. Dan's obviously trying to use Darren, so he's probably in the most danger. Camela, _please_ look after your brother and be careful."

With that, Danny went ghost, jumped up, and flew away. Younger Danny decided to stay back. He'd stick around just in case Dan showed up again.

"I know you're there." Sam said suddenly, surprising Danny. The boy stayed silent and invisible. Camela and Darren looked up at her curiously. "We know you're here now, so just make things easier and give it up."

Danny sighed and appeared on the sidewalk. The two children gasped while Sam frowned.

"You guys are right. It _is_ Dan." Danny confirmed.

* * *

**Okay, it took me a while to decide where to end this chapter, so I hope that that's good enough. :D**

**BTW, I hope that this answers a few questions...or maybe I'm just giving you more. Either way, I'll be somewhat pleased.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: To own Danny Phantom would require business skills, something I do not have.**

* * *

"How did he get out?" Sam asked. "And why did Clockwork send you instead of this time's Danny?"

"Clockwork said that, shortly after the Disasteroid thing, I went to him to change time so that the whole world didn't find out, but I accidentally knocked into the thermos which let Dan out. As for why he sent _me_…he couldn't go any further. He said that Dan's time-traveling was preventing him from it, so…"

"So his interference probably made the timeline too unstable for him to go any further." Sam finished.

"You mean…basically you just messed up the timeline?" Camela put in.

Danny smacked his forehead. "I didn't mess it up _yet_."

"This is too freaky." Darren stated.

Danny chuckled. "I thought you would've been used to it by now."

Darren rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, plastering on a poker face. "So, what do we do?"

"_You_ do nothing." Sam ordered.

The boy's face dropped into one of disbelief. "What?! Oh, come on! You _always_ leave me out of the battles! So what if my powers aren't exactly stable?! I can still fight!"

Camela sighed. "Mom, just let him help. For one of the few times in my life, I agree with him.

Darren smiled at the support. The mother looked between her two children, then heaved a sigh.

"Fine, but we have to go get your father first." She agreed.

"On it!" Camela volunteered, going ghost and lifting off into the sky to retrieve her father.

After she vanished, Sam and Darren stared back at Danny. He looked edgy and uncomfortable. He also looked like he had a million questions that he was holding back.

"So, how long have you been hanging around here?" The woman interrogated.

"Only a few hours." Danny answered simply.

"And from that you have learned…?"

"Not much. Which is a good thing because Clockwork said to learn as little as possible. Just go in, get Dan, and get out." He rambled.

"Who the heck is this Dan dude anyways?" Darren piped up.

Danny glanced at Sam, who just looked back at him, secretly informing him that they hadn't told the two about the evil ghost yet.

"Long story." Both of them replied.

Darren just pouted at being left out of the information loop. "But shouldn't we know what we're up against?"

"You're lucky that we're letting you fight with the ectochronia in the first place, don't push it." The mother reprimanded quietly.

Darren, however, wasn't so quiet.

"Why do you treat this like it's a huge deal?!" He shouted, his eyes blazing green again. "You act like I can't do _anything_! Yeah, my powers don't work sometimes, but they do most of the time, so it's no reason to get all worked up about! You've seen me fight before, you know I can, so why do you treat me like some defenseless little kid?!"

Danny cringed and backed up a step as the son argued loudly.

"Because you could get hurt!" Sam fought. Darren's eyes softened and returned to normal at this. "Ghost fights are dangerous. One wrong move could cost you your life. Your powers are too unstable for us to risk that. _That_ is why we hold you back."

Darren backed off a little and leaned against a wall, his eyes haunted with the recently said words. Sam took a deep breath and turned away so that she was facing Danny again. He looked both scared and puzzled. Eventually, the fear subsided and only the confusion was left, signified by a raised eyebrow.

Just then, it struck Sam. "You have absolutely no idea what we're talking about, do you?"

Danny slowly shook his head. Sam looked back at her son for a moment before returning her gaze to Danny.

"Is Clockwork going to kill you if I tell you?"

"Nah, but I'll still be in trouble. You know, that whole 'knowing too much about one's own future is a bad thing' stuff." The boy replied.

"I think that we can risk it." The woman confirmed. She took a deep breath. "Ectochronia is a recently discovered disease. In fact, we're pretty sure that it hasn't even existed until now. It came around when Darren was born. It turns out, half-ghost genes and human genes don't always mix very well. Basically, it makes Darren lose control of his powers every now and then."

"And it also makes everyone paranoid morons around you." Darren spoke up, still leaning angrily against the wall.

The two ignored him.

"Okay, that clears a few things up." Danny announced.

Sam suddenly gazed into the sky. "I think they're coming back."

Danny turned around to see two black dots in the sky, heading their direction. He braced himself for what could be one of the most awkward moments of his life. The two figures came up fast and skidded to a stop right by the group. The older Danny took a deep breath before turning to his younger self.

"So, what brings you here?" He questioned.

"Dan got loose." Danny replied simply.

"And Clockwork sent you after him?"

"Yep."

"And he's here right now?"

"Yep."

"Do you know _why_ here's here and not trying to mess up the past instead?"

It was Danny's turn to inhale deeply. "He doesn't need us to exist anymore, he exists outside of time. So, he just wants revenge now and the best way he can think of doing that is…"

"Destroying this future." The man finished.

"Exactly." Danny agreed. He was glad that everything was being kept strictly professional. Otherwise, he'd be stammering like a moron and blushing every three seconds.

Older Danny massaged his temples for a moment. "Any idea where he is?"

"Not a clue." The boy answered truthfully. "But I do know that he's after Darren."

The aged half-ghost turned to his son in shock. Uh-oh. This was _not_ a good thing. Darren rolled his eyes and straightened up. "Psycho ghost attacked me at school." He mumbled simply, not wanting to go into detail. "Although, it would be really nice to know who the heck this guy is and _why_ he's attacking us."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Darren. If this Dan dude is so powerful, how come you guys have never mentioned him before?"

The three people who knew glanced nervously at each other. This wasn't going to go over well.

* * *

**Alright, I'm not sure if I can get another chapter up next Friday. My teachers are really piling on the work and if I don't put some extra effort in, I'm gonna crash and burn. Although, if I fail a CERTAIN test, administered by a CERTAIN teacher, that might become literal.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Whoo! I actually updated this week!**

* * *

Older Danny sighed. "It's a long story and…"

"And you're not going to tell us, leaving us virtually clueless in this whole situation?" Camela responded.

Sam sighed. "They have a point."

The man groaned. "Fine."

"Okay, but if you don't mind, I'm going to go _way_ over there." Younger Danny cut in, jabbing his finger behind him. "This isn't exactly something I want to hear again."

Without waiting for a reply, he took off, leaving the futuristic people behind. There was a story to be told.

The young Danny Phantom sat at the base of a tree, staring up into the sky. It was getting dark. Various colors had already painted their way across evening sky and a cool breeze was drifting in. He took a deep breath.

"This is going to be a disaster." He admitted to himself.

"And how do _you_ know that?" A female voice questioned.

Danny twisted around quickly to see Camela floating behind him. Her ghost form was a little…strange. Her wavy white hair was held back in a high ponytail that fell just past her neck. The main part of her top was solid black, with the exception of the famous Danny Phantom symbol. Danny figured that it was only there to mark who she was related to; like a label. White sleeves started around her shoulders and stretched down until they disappeared into short black gloves. Moving downward, her white pants hugged her body loosely. There was a single black stripe running down the side of each pant leg before 

the ends collided with the black boots she wore. Danny realized that they had the strange buckles as well. What was it with these people and buckles?!

But the thing that declared her as an oddity was her eyes. They were bright green most of the time, but occasionally flashed blue. Like right now. He guessed that it was another side-effect of having so much of the human gene.

The girl stepped a little closer as she waited for a reply to her question.

"_Anything_ that involves Dan turns out to be a disaster." The male half-ghost answered simply but dramatically.

"We have to go back." She instructed in a flat voice. This whole thing was clearly freaking her out and she was just trying to hide it. "They need you to help plan."

Danny nodded once and stood up, taking off into the sky with Camela at his heels.

"Clockwork," An Observant said to the ancient time ghost "The boy has met his future self. This could ruin the time stream!"

"I am aware of that." Clockwork hissed. "Don't forget that the device I gave him lets me know everything that is happening whenever he is and also that it's why you are able to observe his progress in the first place."

"That is not the point!" The Observant beside the first one snapped. "He…"

"...Is learning too much about his own future. Yes, I realize that. But there is not anything that can be done about it. All we can do is hope and wait. Danny will solve this problem, he's much more capable than you give him credit for."

"You're letting fate rest on the shoulders of a child." Observer one reprimanded.

"Yes, I am. Now, go. You are not needed here." Clockwork dismissed.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Clockwork." Observent two warned gravely before leaving with his companion.

The time ghost turned back to the screen with a troubled look as he observed the path of altered time that was being laid. It was all up to Danny now.

The two half-ghosts landed lightly in front of the group. Darren looked wary of everyone, taking a position farther away from them. Camela - whose eyes had returned to green - changed back as soon as she landed. Older Danny and Sam looked a little tired.

"So what's the plan?" She questioned, looking to her parents and away from the younger Danny.

"We're still working on that." Older Danny announced. "We've been discussing several plans, but we need to work out a few details."

"Plans like?" Camela urged.

"If we go with a full frontal attack, our attention will be split between him and Darren, which might leave us open. Even still, he could always grab one of you and use you as a threat. If we choose a sneak attack…well, we're not sure how that will work. If he figures it out, it'll work to his advantage because 

he can turn the tables on us at any moment. If he doesn't figure it out, we may only be able to get one good shot in. After that, our cover will be blown." The man planned.

Younger Danny listened to what his older self had to say and thought hard about it. He ran over all of the other times he saw the evil being and, suddenly, something clicked.

"What about a surprise attack?" Danny suddenly piped up.

"What?" Everyone chorused, turning their undivided attention to him.

"A surprise attack. We need to do something that he won't expect. It's worked all of the other times." Danny thought out.

Older Danny's eyes lit up. "You're right. The first time, he only lost because he didn't know that I-er-we could use the Ghostly Wail."

"And when he attacked me," Darren started, going with the flow "I only got away because he wasn't expecting _me_ to be able to attack."

"Now, the only question is…how do we surprise him?" Sam spoke up.

As soon as she said that, everyone started whispering their ideas. Meanwhile, Danny started to think on his own again. His mind ran over each battle with as much detail as he could remember. The first time he used the ice power on Dan, the ghost didn't expect it. Wait! The freezing ability was something that Dan didn't have; something that they could use against him. Danny began to delve further into this until all of the puzzle pieces started aligning. He smiled to himself and looked up. The group was still arguing about plans, criticizing and contradicting one another. Danny cleared his throat, unnoticed by the group.

"Um, guys?" Danny spoke up, louder. No one heard him over what had become yelling. "Hello?!" He screamed loudly.

This finally got a little of their attention. He smiled as all eyes were on him.

"I have a plan."

* * *

**Okay, so the good news was that I updated this week. The bad news is that I need to spend extra time on a book I plan to publish before I finish high-school, so I'm choosing this week to work on it a bit. The other possibly bad news is that I may or may not have a broken/fractured finger. Which is only bad news because typing with a cast or splint on would be really difficult. So, I'm just praying that it's only swelled. (Okay, given that I hurt it _weeks_ ago and the thing is _still_ swolen is probably a bad sign, in which case I might be looking at a rebreak. Fun).**


	11. Chapter 11

**Just one or two more chapters. And, as for why I put this up today, I'll tell you at the bottom.**

* * *

Darren was nervously walking to school, checking his surrounding area. In a barely noticeable motion, he said something into a tiny microphone attached to his shirt.

"Please tell me you know what you're doing."

"We already went over the plan, remember? Just play your part and everything will be fine." Younger Danny said from his own microphone, hidden invisibly on top of a building a good distance away.

Darren sighed and continued on his way. According to the plan, Dan would spring at any moment. And if his Dad and his…er…younger Dad knew as much as they thought they did, it would happen.

"You know, being _bait_ is not very enjoyable." He commented.

"Shhh!" The kid from the past hissed.

Several more moments passed until anything else was said.

"See anything?" The older Danny questioned from his own microphone.

"No. I don't get it; he should be here by now." He muttered in response.

Suddenly, Danny's ghost sense went off and a bone-chilling voice broke the air.

"Oh, I _am_."

Danny turned around slowly. Dan was right behind him, ecto-blast charged and cruel smirk in place.

"Oh, no." He cursed, turning visible once he realized that the jig was up.

Dan chuckled in maniacal pleasure. "Did you seriously think that I'd fall for something so stupid? That this simplistic plan would have gotten me? You underestimate me, Danny."

Danny gulped and backed up slowly to the edge of the building. "Adaption." He whispered into his microphone.

Dan's hand shot out and he tore the microphone from Danny's shirt as well as the speaker from his ear. He dropped the two pieces of technology to the ground and stepped on them, grinding his foot against the pavement and reducing the communication devices to scraps.

"Can't have the rest of the team in on this, can we?" He sneered, latching on to the front of Danny's jumpsuit before hurdling him to the other side of the rooftop. The boy weakly perched himself on his elbows.

The ghost smirked and took a deep breath, ready to unleash a ghostly wail, when he was pounded in the back. The ghost lurched forward a bit, but did not fall down. Hissing, he spun around and came face to face with Darren in ghost form.

"You forgot this part of the team." He smirked, apparently hearing Dan's earlier comment.

The older ghost growled. He reached out behind him and flung Darren into Danny in one swift movement. The two boys groaned while trying to get off of each other and get back up. Dan stomped up to them.

"Now, don't tell me that this is all of your pathetic team. Where's the others?" Dan glared at the two boys with his soul-less red eyes as he said this.

"I _told_ you we should have told older you." Darren acted, pretending to be mad at Danny.

"Well, I thought he was going to go after you so that I could sneak up on him!" Danny snapped in his defense.

They were cut short as a blast from Dan knocked them in separate directions. They flew a few feet apart and landed roughly on the ground. Dan kept his eyes on both of them as he duplicated into two. One for each ghost boy.

"Now…" They began, raising their hands in front of them. They were about to attack again when they were both pummeled from the side by two Camelas. They were knocked into each other and fused once more. Then, ice beams came from both directions, trapping Dan in an ice encasing. This gave the two boys enough time to fly over to the girl, who fused back together.

"Ready….now!" Danny shouted.

Just as Dan had broken out of his entrapment, all three had sucked in a deep breath and let loose three ghostly wails. The older ghost had no time to react to this and was caught in the middle. He couldn't do anything as he was constantly beaten on. Dan was forced to the ground under all of the pressure. Sparking green energy suddenly surrounded Darren and his attack stopped. The boy coughed and landed on the ground, leaving his side open. Darren crumpled to the floor and changed back. Danny and Camela couldn't hold on any longer and followed suit. All three panted heavily.

Dan leaped up from his current position with a burst of energy, sending the now-human teens flying backward. The ghost created energy-shields around each of them, rendering them all unable to move. He slowly approached the group, looking like someone who had just walked out of a war.

"Any last words?" He growled.

Unexpected smirks appeared on the faces of Danny, Camela, and Darren.

"Um, yeah." Danny responded.

"Buh-bye." They all finished.

Dan looked utterly confused as he was knocked to the ground with a heavy blast from the back. He opened his eyes and flopped over to see the older Danny standing over him with a look identical to those of the teens. Within seconds, he sucked the howling ghost back into the Fenton Thermos. Danny, Camela, and Darren were suddenly broken from their prisons.

"Nice job!" The man congratulated while handing the thermos to the younger Danny. "Even though it didn't go _exactly_ as planned."

"Yeah, good thing we worked in that adaption." Camela agreed.

"Good job…uh…" Darren started saying to younger Danny, but then trailed when he noticed the half-ghost was flickering out of the realm. He never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, Danny vanished, leaving the futuristic half-ghosts on the roof of the building.

Danny reappeared in Clockwork's lair. He looked at the beaten up old Fenton Thermos in his hand and smiled, placing it back on its stand. He then removed the time-traveling deice from his wrist and put it on a table. After he had done so, Clockwork drifted into the room silently.

"I take it Dan is back in his thermos." The time ghost said, changing from a young man to an old man.

"Yep. Nice and safe. Although, we should probably put more security on it so that he doesn't get out again." Danny replied, looking wiped out. Danny then glanced at the time mirror, showing the moment he had left, and sighed. "So, I guess it's time for me to go back home now, huh?"

"No." Clockwork responded.

Danny looked startled and turned to the child-version of the ghost. "What?"

"That time-line…it's not completely stable. You learned too much on your voyage through your future. Those things will affect your destiny greatly. Some things will change for the worse." He announced slowly. He changed into the young man again.

"What do you want me to do about it then?" Asked Danny in confusion.

"Make a choice." The time-ghost replied, ageing once more. "The future that you are currently destined for…" he waved his time staff so that the screen changed. It showed Danny in the middle of a snowy area with people crowded all around. His parents were in front of him and he was standing there with shock written on his face. He was about to make one of the biggest decisions of his life. "Or I could let you change the past. You could change this one little moment and no one would know who you were except for your parents." He changed into a young man and floated up close to Danny. "So, Danny Phantom, what will it be?"

* * *

**Yes, I know that this is an odd day for my to post this chapter, but I have my reasons.**

**1. I found time to finish this.**

**2. I really wanted to get this story finished up soon.**

**3. I'm getting finger surgery and a cast on in a few weeks and it would probably make my typing slower as well as take up a lot of my free time because I'll be doing my homework slower, hence the reason WHY I wanted to finish this up soon.**

**4. I'm going to Washington DC next week for my eighth grade school trip.**

**Yeah, I think that's it. Feel free to suggest whether or not you want Danny to have everyone forget or not!**


	12. Chapter 12 and Epilogue

**I'm back and finishing up the story. Yeah, it's one day late, but I was on a hot bus for 12 hours yesterday and didn't get back until past 1 am, so what did you want me to do?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

* * *

Danny looked at Clockwork in curiosity. "Seriously?"

Clockwork gave a little nod and smirk. Danny returned it with a smile of his own. He gazed at the time portal, still frozen on that moment that changed his life.

"Well, then, here I go," the boy dismissed. He floated upward and cast the time ghost one last appreciative look before flying charging through and into the past.

The boy blinked hard for a minute as he took in his surroundings. Lots of snow and people. His mother stood in front of him. She walked up and grabbed his hands gently.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" she asked softly.

"It's okay, Danny, they know," Jazz comforted.

Danny looked back at his parents and bit his lip. Now that he was here, he didn't know what to do. An idea struck him, although it wasn't a great one. But, it would have to do.

"I…I'd better go now," he said. He gave them a little smile before willing himself to become invisible.

The crowd looked around in confusion, but his parents just looked at each other knowingly. He'd come talk to them when he was ready. They followed the crowd into the tower, but paused in a hallway and let everyone pass by until they were alone. They weren't startled much when Danny suddenly appeared in ghost form. He looked guilty.

"Um…hi?" he said nervously.

Maddie wrapped him in a giant hug. In a few moments, Jack joined in as well.

"We're so proud of you," the mother told her son gently.

Danny changed back into his human self. He hugged both of his parents tighter.

"That's all I ever wanted to hear."

Danny walked into his kitchen. His parents were waiting there for him, still smiling even days after the revelation.

"Hi, honey!" Maddie greeted enthusiastically, giving Danny a kiss on the forehead.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" he responded giving them a cheerful wave.

"How're you doing, little brother?" Jazz inquired coming into the scene.

"It'd be nice if we didn't have to go back to school today, but I think I'll live," the half-ghost answered. He checked his watch. "Speaking of school, looks like I'm off. I told Sam I'd meet her there early."

Maddie giggled. "You know, we always knew that you two would get together."

Danny blushed a little. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and transformed, giving his family one last little wave before phasing through the ceiling and flying away.

"There he goes, Maddie," Jack commented, pulling his wife close to him. "Our son, the hero."

Danny flew through the sky in the direction of school. Civilians walking on the street and even some that were driving waved excitedly up to him. He smiled brightly and waved back. This was kinda nice. After a few minutes, he turned himself invisible and landed near the school. Unnoticed, he changed back into Danny Fenton. The boy then proceeded to walk around front. Grinning mischievously, he snuck up behind Sam and put his hands over her eyes.

Sam giggled. "Danny, I know that's you."

"I know," he replied, taking his hands away from her eyes, "but it's still fun."

Sam put her hand in his nervously. "So, how is it being the world's savior?"

"Good, but it's better now that I have someone special to share it with," he cooed.

"You're so corny," she stated.

"No argument there."

"I just hope that statue thing doesn't give you a big head as well."

Danny laughed. "Don't worry about that. Although, I have to say, it was pretty funny when they let Tucker be mayor for a day and having _him_ present it."

"Just be thankful that he's not going to be mayor _all_ the time," Danny's girlfriend joked.

This made Danny laugh pretty hard. Oh, the irony. Little did she know how close that was to actually happening.

"What's so funny?" she asked in confusion.

"Maybe I'll tell you later. Hey, where _is_ Tucker, anyways?"

"He's probably stuck at home. The reporters are going ballistic. I made it here without getting mobbed too badly. Thankfully, no one saw us kiss right before you took off to go save the world. And if they did, they kept their mouths clamped shut. Could you imagine if _that_ got around?"

Before Danny could reply, the bell rung and the two lovebirds walked inside together, hand in hand. A few whispers came from some of the students who saw them, but Danny and Sam paid no mind to them.

Suddenly, Danny spotted Valerie. He turned to Sam.

"Hey, Sam?" he asked. "Can I go talk to Valerie for a minute? There's something that I really think she should know."

Sam bit her lip as she studied the hunter girl, but nodded. Danny smiled graciously and walked over to Valerie.

"Hi, Val," he greeted the girl. "Um, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

"Danny? What is it?" she questioned.

"Just follow me," he ordered as he led away into a deserted part of the school. When he reached his destination, he took a deep breath and turned to face a confused Valerie. "Listen, there's something you need to know. But first, do you trust me?"

"What do you mean 'do I trust you'? Danny, what's going on?!" she exclaimed.

"Just promise me that you won't freak, okay?"

"Alright, I promise," she vowed, a bit unsteadily, I might add.

"Val, the truth is, I know that you're the Red Huntress," he began. Valerie looked shocked and was about to say something, but the half-ghost cut her off. "Don't interrupt, just listen for now. I know that you're the Red Huntress, but you're not the only one who's been keeping secrets. I have, too. A _big_ secret. Valerie, I'm half-ghost."

She looked stunned. "Wait, _you_? _You're_ half-ghost? Like Vlad and…and…" her eyes widened in realization. "Just like Danielle _Phantom_. You're Danny Phantom, aren't you?"

To answer her, he simply changed into his ghost half. "Yeah, Val, I am. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you, but, you know, what with your being a ghost hunter and all…"

She didn't answer.

"Val?"

"Sorry, Danny, this is just…it's a lot to take in,"

"I know," Danny sighed.

"It's just going to take some time to let this all sink in."

"Take as long as you need. I have to go now," he said, changing back to human, "but I just thought that it was something you should know."

With that, Danny left behind the stunned Valerie and rejoined Sam.

"So, how did that go?" she questioned.

"Not too bad, but I think she's going to be in shock for a little while."

"That's understandable," Sam agreed.

The two were still walking when a loud voice broke through to them.

"Hey, Fenton," Dash sneered, coming up from behind them. Danny cringed, realizing that the boy was now a problem again.

"What is it, Dash?"

"Looks like it's your lucky day. With all of the junk that's been going on lately, I'm too tired to cream you. But don't worry; I have you on my schedule for tomorrow." The bully threatened. He gave Danny a menacing look and walked off.

The half-ghost shook his head. "Looks like everything's back to normal." His ghost sense went off as if to emphasize that statement.

Sam gave his hand a little squeeze. "Go."

The half-ghost smiled at her and disappeared around a corner, checking his surroundings.

"I'm going ghost," he whispered. His transformation into the world hero, Danny Phantom, took only a few moments. Afterward, he shot up through the ceiling and into the sky. Waiting for him was Skulker.

"I told you, I'll never stop hunting you," the mechanical ghost reminded with a smirk.

"You know what?" Danny said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**Sorry to anyone who wanted a different outcome, but, what can I say? I did my best!**

**Also, I probably won't be starting anything big for a little while what with everything that's going on. Maybe a one-shot here and there, but that's about it. At least for a few weeks.**


End file.
